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The Thrill of Making Films Through Dialogue Has Fostered Iwai’s Career as a Director
On July 20th (Sunday) and 21st (Monday), COTTON CLUB 20th Anniversary Shunji Iwai The Music Works: 30th Anniversary of “Love Letter” took place at Marunouchi’s COTTON CLUB to mark your 30 years as a director. How did this event come to be?
Iwai: I had received invitations before and was loosely considering possibilities for a project. When my 30th anniversary as a director happened to arrive, we decided to create a music event looking back on my journey so far. For this event, I put together a setlist focused mainly on my original film scores.
Reflecting musically on your 30-year career, have you gained any new insights?
Iwai: The number of people I’ve collaborated with on music is quite small, but looking back, I’m truly grateful for how remarkable each of them was in their own time. I’ve never formally studied music outside; I learned directly from the people I worked with and through hands-on creation on set. I think that approach has paid off, allowing me to maintain a consistent artistic vision all this way.
While crafting the setlist, I noticed, in a positive way, that there isn’t much stylistic change across different periods. Even with different films, the soundtrack feels unified. I believe this comes from the minimal arrangements — mostly violin, cello, piano, and me adding strings with a keyboard. Despite the minimalism, I’ve always treasured acoustic elements in my music, and I hope the audience enjoys that. Kyoko Koizumi and Toko Miura joined us, so I’m excited to see how it all unfolds.
Now that you’ve marked your 30th anniversary, what are your plans moving forward?
Iwai: There are still several projects that haven’t been turned into films yet, and I hope to gradually bring them to life. I understand, perhaps inevitably, that I won’t be able to share all of my work within my lifetime. That said, I also want to keep creating new stories.
Have you had any personal rules you’ve kept close throughout your 30-year career?
Iwai: From the start, I’ve followed the principle of not turning down work. There have been times when my schedule was packed and I had to say no, but with projects like Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom?, I initially declined due to timing conflicts, yet eventually accepted. When producers are persistent, it sparks my desire to take part — even knowing the schedule is tough. If I had firmly refused back then, Fireworks simply wouldn’t exist. That thought still sends chills down my spine. Actually, Hana and Alice was a project I turned down several times because of scheduling, and The Dimension Travelers was similar.
Iwai: People often liken their works to their children, and I feel the same way. You never know exactly when or how they will come into being. If a parent places too many expectations on them, they won’t flourish. My aim has always been to present each work in as lively and fresh a state as possible. Looking back, I realize that’s where I’ve truly invested my passion.
COTTON CLUB 20th Anniversary Shunji Iwai The Music Works：30th Anniversary of “Love Letter”
2025 July 20 (Sun), July 21 (Mon)
[1st Show] Doors open 3:30 PM / Show starts 4:30 PM
[2nd Show] Doors open 7:00 PM / Show starts 8:00 PM
Members:
Shunji Iwai
Yui Makino (piano)
Junpei Hayashida (cello)
Momoko Arai (violin)
Guests:
Kyoko Koizumi (vocals)
Toko Miura (vocals)
[Reservations]
Tickets are currently sold out, but if cancellations occur, sales may resume. Please check the latest status on the official website or by phone.
Charge / Ticket Prices
[All seats reserved]
Table seats: ¥12,000
Box seats Center (4-person): ¥14,500
Box seats Side (2–4 persons): ¥13,500
Box seats Pair (2 persons): ¥14,000
Pair seats (2 persons): ¥13,000
Prices are per person.
Official website: https://www.cottonclubjapan.co.jp/jp/sp/artists/iwai-shunji/
